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OAKLAND (KCBS) — For the first time since Gov. Jerry Brown ordered a 60-day cooling off period, Bay Area Rapid Transit management and its unions were returning to the bargaining table Monday morning to resume negotiations and avoid a strike that would result in service shutdown.

While both sides said they want to avoid another BART strike, they remain divided over pay, benefits and workplace safety. The two sides remain far apart over pay with BART offering a 10 percent hike over four years and the unions asking for a 21.5 percent cut over the next three years.